The Death of Innocence
by Corvosier
Summary: The real world is much more brutal than the fairytales we all enjoy. Team RWBY and friends are about to find that out the hard way, will they survive having their ideals crash to the ground around them? Will they be able to adapt in the face of harsh reality ?


The night felt calm and peaceful out on the balcony. Music came from the ballroom which despite being less than 50 feet from her felt miles away. She had her back to the ballroom, hands on the railing lost gazing far away. Everything felt hazy but before she could ponder on that feeling a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Pyrrha !"

It was Jaune ! He must have caught on to her feelings and come to ask her to dance. She began to turn around filled with excitement. Before she even got half-way around she knew somehow that she would not like what she saw. Something was wrong with his voice, it was shrill and filled with urgence. It was too late to stop now though.

Jaune was in the doorway to the ballroom and his entire body was engulfed in flames. He wasn't yelling her name to get her attention, he was screaming for help.

"Oh god, Pyrrha. Oh god. Help me."

He sank to his knees unable to move towards her. His hair was already burnt away. That shaggy blond hair the colour of sunshine, that hair she loved.

"It hurts so much Pyrrha. Make it stop."

She took a step towards him and another, Fumbling forward. It was like moving through mud and even when she did gain distance that ballroom with its mockingly cheerful music still felt miles away.

"I can't take it. I... I..."

He collapsed forward onto his chest making a sickening sound when his body impacted with the ground. His flesh seemed almost to bubble and melt away from him. Pyrrha fell to her knees seeing the futility in her efforts. She felt herself crack and finally she was able to make a sound. A long ear-piercing scream.

Pyrrha sat up straight in bed the scream continuing from the dream into reality. It didn't last for long before she realized what she was doing and cut herself off. Ren and Nora were already wide awake and looking at her, both from Ren's bed. Pyrrha turned her head from Ren and Nora over to the empty bed in the corner as she often did when she woke up. She saw exactly what she had expected to see, an empty bed. With a sour look she turned back to Nora and Ren before getting up and grabbing her stuff to go change.

Ren and Nora said nothing to her and made no move to see if she was alright, they just stared. This had become a common occurrence since Jaune had died. The second night when Ren had gone to see if Pyrrha was alright she had almost broken his arm lashing out at him in the grief left behind from her dreams. They had learned to just leave her be for now.

Nora had taken their team leader's death almost as badly as Pyrrha had and would have been no use in tying to cheer their friend up. She had closed in on herself and Ren seemed to be the only person that was keeping her together and going. She snuck into Ren's bed every night and he hadn't fought her. They slept back to back.

It didn't take Pyrrha long to change into her regular attire and make her way down to the training field. It was only 5 in the morning, but she was normally up at about this time. Everyone seemed to believe that her combat prowess came simple and easy to her. The truth was hard work made up a lot of the skill she possesed today. Sure she probably had more than her fair share of natural talent but that had only taken her so far. These days the morning training was more a release for her than it was about honing her skills.

She set up a few training dummies before she took weapon in hand and begun the routine, she was much more aggresive than normal.

Whack! Whack! Whack! It's not fair he could have been such a great hunter. He was learning so well.

The first dummy rocked on its stand, the impact of her blows thudding out through the field.

Whack! Whack! Whack! It's not fair he was one of the best people I've ever met. He'd take two blows for you so you wouldn't have to take one.

The second dummy buckled in on itself sending wooden splinters in a spray.

Whack! Whack! Whack! It's not fair, I loved him.

Pyrrha smashed the third dummy with her shield, destroying it so thoroughly that it was as if it had harbored fire dust inside of it.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Pyrrha whirled around, she spun Milo in her hand transforming it to it's Javelin form and with a bang from the gun at the butt of the spear she hurled it at the fourth dummy. It flew through the air like a thunderbolt, impaling the wooden dummy and continuing on until it had the dummy pinned against the far wall.

" Wow that's a... uh... a hell of a throw. "

Pyrrha whirled around to see Cardin standing not far from her. It was a testament to how focused on her thoughts she had just been to not hear the boy approaching, he had steps like a goliath. She held her right hand out towards the wall that her spear was embedded in and with the accompaniment of a slight black glow the spear unembedded itself from the wall and returned to her hand. She held her gaze to him the whole time, a flat look.

"I thought I'd find you here. I've been trying to get around to saying this but..." The large boy was being very uncharacteristically shy. It caused her to narrow her eyes a bit in suspicion. "Look... I know me and Jaune never got along very well, but I want you to know that I'm really sorry for what happened and I... "

He didn't get to finish his sentence. There was a slicing sound as if something was cutting through the air. Cardin looked down and was surprised to see Milo sticking out of his left shoulder, it hadn't gone in very deep. He let out a slight whimper, partially in pain but mostly at the dead cold in Pyrrha's eyes as they bore deep into his.

"Don't you ever say his name again." Her words were very quiet and equally as cold as her gaze. "Ever. If I so much as here from someone else that you said anything at all about him. " She leaned in close to his face giving her sword a slight twist. " You will be no better than a grimm in my eyes. Do I make myself clear Cardin ? "

The large boy had no words to give in reply but he gave a twitch of a nod for affirmation. Pyrrha pulled the tip of her sword out of his arm and stood there looking at him for a second before speaking again.

" You should really be more careful while training Cardin you don't want to give yourself anymore wounds like that one on accident. "

Once again Cardin nodded in reply then after a moment he turned and ran out of the training grounds on his way to the infirmary.

A beautiful melody floated through the air. A bittersweet song full of soft minor notes. Weiss Schnee had always thought of herself as a fan of the fine arts. Music above all else, of course, why else would she have spent just as much time over the years practising with her voice as with her sword. That is why she absolutely could not ignore the wonderful sounds in the air, she had to know who had strung such a song together. She wouldn't normally be up this early, she hated the morning, but she was dressed before she knew it and out the door.

Light was just barely peaking over the horizon to greet her as she exited the dorm. It seemed to wrap itself around the silver-haired man that sat on the edge of the fountain when she reached him. Just like his music he was beautiful, his features were so soft they were almost like a woman's. In his hands he held a golden harp, there were blades along one side of the instrument, but he avoided them as if they were not there. Weiss said nothing, she sat down on a nearby bench and watched him play.

After what seemed like an eternity he spoke, his voice was everything she expected it to be. It sounded as if it were lined with velvet. His hands continued their motion as he spoke and it was almost like his voice and the music were one. She struggled to listen to his words through her clouded head.

" Weiss, I've been waiting for you for a very long time. You didn't know it till now but you've been waiting for me too haven't you? "

She was surprised when she answered. She didn't think she was capable of such a thing at the moment. Her voice sounded strange and unfamiliar but she knew she truly meant what she said. " I have. I have ! I'm so glad your here. But I don't know your name. "

His smile was warm and caring as he replied. " Dear Weiss, I'm your prince charming. You know that. You won't remember any of this I'm afraid, but what you will remember is how you feel. Don't forget that feeling dear Weiss. I'll be counting on you okay? "

She wanted him to beleive and trust her when she spoke. Her eyes were wide and her hands clasped together at her chest. " Oh you can always count on me ! Anything you need. "

The man stood up, his long silver hair billowing out behind him. He took a tie out of his pocket and quickly threw his hair into a ponytail. " I will be new again when we meet. How lucky you are to feel this feeling twice. Farewell. "

As the man strode away he was met with a shorter girl, two large ears poking out from her pink hair gave her away as a rabbit faunus. She barely had time to think about it before her head began to throb. No it was more as if the pain had been there the whole time and she hadn't noticed till now. She lifted her hands and placed the heels of her hands against her temple, pushing in lightly. The pain did not subside, it grew stronger. It grew until she felt nothing else and then she felt nothing.


End file.
